"Just what do you think the chances are of getting such a person elected in the US? Or in the UK, for that matter."

That is exactly the point Ebbie........Sometimes....most of the time, the electoral process will not produce the required product......as in "progressive change"

We all know we need it.
We will never get it with an administration of old guard capitalist warmongers.
The folks who made significant change towards a fairer better society, did so through people power, bypassing the corrupt electoral system.

Sometimes, if we REALLY want to change things, we must be prepared to get our hands dirty!
Don't lecture me on "my country"....."your country". We have lost children to "Your" war and will suffer much hardship, in large measure by the actions of "Your" financial institutions!